Cohorts

Numerous graduate and undergraduate programs in the college, as well as our teacher licensure programs, use a "cohort" structure.

As a member of a cohort, you will be among a small group of students enrolled in the same program, who all started at the same time. All of you will progress through the program as a group, taking the same classes together, and finishing your course of study together.

Cohorts give you the ongoing fellowship of fellow students who are experiencing the same academic and personal challenges and rewards at the same time that you are. You can support and work with each other as a unit as well as individually.

Cohort members find that they can create stronger and more lasting professional relationships and friendships from within this consistent group than they would in less structured academic arrangements.

The original meaning of "cohort" referred to one of 10 divisions of a Roman legion. Today it often refers to a group of individuals having a statistical factor in common in a demographic study. In the College of Education and Human Development, we like the second contemporary definition of cohort: "companion, colleague."

The most enriching aspect of being a SLC (second languages and culture) student at the University of Minnesota is the cohort. We are very open with each other and share each other’s opinions freely in class. In class, we rarely have enough time to discuss and debate all we want, so discussions pour into the hallways. Our personalities are varied; our backgrounds are diverse. The relationships made between cohort members this year will be a precious asset to all the members throughout their teaching careers.—Ryan Wahlberg
initial licensure student